The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Todd Vande Berg

Zephyrhills is ranked among top RV destinations

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It’s no secret that Zephyrhills has been known as a ‘Snowbird Haven’ for decades.

It’s a place where northerners routinely flock, to escape the winter chill.

Happy Days RV Park is home to several RV sites and plugs, year-round, as the resort features several amenities and is well-located in between vacation destinations, such as the Disney parks and the Gulf beaches. (Mike Camunas)

So perhaps it’s only logical it would become home to lots of RV parks. There are 19 to be exact, within the city limits.

But it appears that the city is becoming a more popular place, in general, for RV enthusiasts.

StorageCafe.com has ranked Zephyrhills as the fourth-best RV destination nation, based on the number of campsites and their amenities; the local cost of living; the proximity to other attractions, and, of course, the year-round warm weather.

City officials were happy to hear about the survey results.

“Well, while this is a bit of news to me, it is always good to rank high in great places to visit, so we’re definitely happy and excited about that,” said Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe.

“Does this mean the secret is out?” Poe said, with a laugh. “We’re not marketing (Zephyrhills) as a great place to RV, but my thought is, we’re a retirement community — Snowbird Haven — and we’ve always been that.”

Certainly, Zephyrhills always has been a retirement or winter-home destination. However, now there’s a trend of younger retirees and even travelers who are purchasing RVs, and using RV resorts and parks in Zephyrhills.

Part of that stems from the city’s convenient location: It’s a quick trip to destinations such as the Disney attractions and the Gulf beaches.

“Just look at us (Zephyrhills) on a map,” Poe said. “You can be in Orlando and Disney in an hour. You can be in Downtown Tampa in an hour. Wesley Chapel is nearby, too, and then, of course, the beaches.”

Majestic Oaks RV Resort is one of Zephyrhills’ larger RV resorts within city limits, and has sites and plugs available year-round.

Plus, he said, “in Zephyrhills, it’s a smaller-paced, hometown feel, which I think many people like coming to, to stay for a while.”

According to the RV Industry Association, projected 2022 RV shipments range between 578,800 and 603,300 units — slightly more than the 600,240 vehicles shipped last year.

The numbers in 2021 were up 39% from the previous year. And, from 2001 to 2021, RV ownership increased by more than 62%.

More than 11.2 million households now own RVs, with the average age of owners being 55. However, 22% of RV owners are in the 18 to 34 age range.

“I would have to say this is certainly a welcomed surprise, even if, as a town, we’ll have to revisit it (from a marketing standpoint) and be more open to it,” City Planning Director Todd Vande Berg said. “If I had to guess (on why Zephyrhills is ranked so high), it would be the affordability of RV parks. Because I think that’s the demographic that comes into play, of what people can afford. Certainly the weather and the small town feel with close proximity to beaches and a bigger city help.”

Poe added: “And not really trying to sound selfish here, but, obviously, those RVing typically have disposable income at their fingertips, so why not come spend it in Zephyrhills?”

RVs sit parked at RV Optimum Zephyrhills, the lone RV dealer in a town that has become an increasingly popular destination for RV travel, vacationing and living.

There is definite appeal to Zephyrhills, as it is a small yet still basically rural town that offers affordable sites for RVs.

Lisa Carletti, a master-certified RV inspector who has been an avid RV enthusiast since 2016, said the primary force behind Zephyrhills’ popularity is clear.

“I would say it’s the space, said Carletti, who owns MyRVResource.com and MyRvInspection.com, both which perform independent inspections of RVs, similar to the kind done when you purchase a home.

“We live part-time in a fifth wheel (RV) in Dover and the appeal there is the same: usually more space in the parks. I can fit my RV, a large shed and three vehicles — you’re never going to find a place like that over in Tampa. All those lots are too tight.”

Carletti has inspected hundreds of RVs and been to numerous parks. She said Zephyrhills’ location will rank high on any list.

“And, of course, it’s going to be less expensive in Zephyrhills than in Tampa, Orlando or the beach areas,” she added.

So, while they may not have been deliberately trying to entice RV users, the town has much to offer.

Besides being close to numerous attractions, Zephyrhills also has nice golf courses, and nearby hiking and kayaking at the Hillsborough River.

“There are so many activities at our fingertips and then we’re not as expensive to stay as other places,” Poe said.

“I think people are really starting to see that,” he said.

Zephyrhills has 19 RV resorts or campsites within the city limits. Of those, 80% have pools and nearly all have extended stay rates that are beneficial to RV enthusiasts. Zephyrhills also has a large RV dealership, Optimum RV Zephyrhills, at 3334 Paul Buchman Highway. To inquire about an RV inspection with MyRVResource.com, email Lisa Carletti at .

Published July 06, 2022

More residential and commercial growth coming to East Pasco

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Zephyrhills is hitting its stride as growth and development gain momentum along the traffic corridors of what is now Pasco County’s largest city.

The signs of new growth are everywhere along Zephyrhills’ major corridors including U.S. 301/Gall Boulevard, and State Road 56.

Construction is changing the city’s landscape.

Heavy equipment prepares land for the construction of a new Radiant Gas Station and other retail on the west side of Gall Boulevard, in Zephyrhills. (Fred Bellet)

New developments include The District at Abbott Square, a master-planned community behind the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, and Abbott Park, a residential community off Dean Dairy Road.

The Zephyrhills Municipal Airport is expanding and there’s new retail at Zephyr Commons shopping complex.

These signal the city’s increasing population.

It grew from more than 13,000 residents in 2010 to more than 17,000 residents in 2020, according to data from the 2020 U.S. Census.

In addition to Abbott Square and Abbott Park, Hidden River and the Links at Calusa Springs also are adding rooftops to Zephyrhills.

“The fact is that the need for housing is just exploding statewide. Tampa is running out of space,” said Todd Vande Berg, Zephyrhills’ planning director. “We were the next logical location.”

The view from the exit of Tropical Acres on Blue Lagoon Drive will soon change as ongoing construction site preparation will transform the east side of U.S. 301.

The widening of State Road 56 to four lanes opened Zephyrhills to more development, Vande Berg said.

He also noted that city officials have worked to ensure that residential projects were not “cookie-cutter.”

Abbott Square, as an example, will offer one-story villas, two-story townhouses, and will feature three different lot sizes.

“I think people appreciate that. Not all residential is on 40-foot-wide lots like every other development,” he said.

Preserving trees, installing sidewalks and adding trails are highlights of new residential development.

Zephyrhills is building on Pasco’s countywide efforts to attract tourism through an emphasis on sports facilities such as the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Center.

In coming months, Vande Berg said the tennis center will add dormitories to accommodate increasing interest in tournaments and training opportunities.

The facility also is attracting new residential including the Abbott Square project. The Lennar Homes development, on Simons Road behind the tennis center, will build about 700 residential units of single-family houses, townhouses, and apartments.

West of Dade City on State Road 52, a new residential development, Abbey Glen, is under construction.

Abbott Park, off Kossik Road near Zephyr Commons, is a new residential community by Metro Places.

Summerstone is a new single-family and townhome development, off State Road 56, west of Morris Bridge Road. It is located in Wesley Chapel, just a short distance west of Zephyrhills.

Chipotle’s restaurant recently opened at Zephyr Commons. Planet Fitness had a recent ribbon-cutting. Chick-Fil-A opened, too, on an outparcel of the shopping center on the northeast corner with Pretty Pond Road.

More retail is anticipated. And plans for the site include about 400 residential units.

The Pretty Pond intersection is becoming a hub for Zephyrhills shoppers, who are adding Zephyr Commons to their destinations along with established plazas along Gall Boulevard (U.S. 301), including Merchants Square, Towne View Square Shopping Center, and North Town Center.

On the west side of Gall Boulevard, at Pretty Pond, the former site of Rainbow Court and Brightside Manor mobile home park, is being prepped for new commercial development. A sign planted at the site advertises a coming Radiant gas station and convenience store. A car wash also is anticipated at the site.

Zephyrhills’ downtown, on Fifth Avenue, is enjoying its own commercial revival.

The opening of Zephyrhills Brewing Company in 2016 set the stage for renewed interest in downtown, said Melonie Monson, president, and chief executive officer of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

“It has been an economic driver,” she said. “It’s brought traffic in on weekends.”

New shops opening within the past year include Vintage Chix, a boutique clothing store; A.O.K., a sports bar featuring axe throwing; and Your Turn, a board game café that serves coffee, sandwiches, pastries, and a choice of hundreds of board games to play.

A site preparation worker makes his way through a parcel of land on Gall Boulevard, just south of North Town Center on Gall Boulevard in Zephyrhills.

Tina & Joe’s Café opened recently in the historic Jeffries House, built in 1910 for Zephyrhills’s founder Captain A. B. Jeffries. The café serves salads, sandwiches, lobster rolls and desserts.

Also, Planet Jupiter, a hookah lounge, is “coming soon” to a storefront on Fifth Avenue.

“Our downtown is really growing,” said Monson.

On Gall Boulevard, near downtown, Jerry’s Crystal Bar reopened after being ravaged by fire in 2020.

Checkers on Gall and Culver’s on Eiland Boulevard are new additions to the quick service food options.

The chamber recently hosted a ribbon-cutting for Hoops Heaven, on Chancey Road along the city’s industrial corridor. The indoor training facility offers basketball training for youth in the Zephyrhills and Wesley Chapel area.

Hoops Heaven adds to both Zephyrhills’ and Pasco County’s goal of advocating for sports and ecotourism to build economic growth and bring jobs, Vande Berg said.

“Someone came from out of town and saw a need for youth basketball,” the planning director said.

By Kathy Steele

Published January 05, 2022

Roadway connectivity is key to Zephyrhills’ economic vitality

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The Zephyrhills area has experienced burgeoning activity in the way of residential growth and commercial development.

Pasco County Commission chairman Ron Oakley has witnessed it firsthand, since being elected in 2016.

“Zephyrhills has been a very good, working city,” said Oakley, who represents District 1, which covers areas in East and Central Pasco.

“Economically, they’ve done very well over the years, and I mean, it just didn’t start here lately, it’s been that way.

Pasco County Commission chairman Ron Oakley was a featured guest speaker during the fifth annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit in October, at Zephyrhills City Hall. (File)

“They have a good council here, and they have good planners and others,” the county board leader said.

But Oakley is especially enthused about the forthcoming roadway connectivity in and out of the city limits — which he detailed as one of the featured speakers at the fifth annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit held last month, at Zephyrhills City Hall.

The Oct. 13 event was organized by the City of Zephyrhills, Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition, Main Street Zephyrhills, Pasco Economic Development Council (Pasco EDC), and AdventHealth Zephyrhills/Dade City.

These were among the finished or active projects that Oakley highlighted:

  • State Road 56 extension, from Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wesley Chapel to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills
  • Wire Road pavement rehabilitation
  • County Road 54, east to 23rd Street, which includes traffic signals, turn lanes, and multi-use path
  • U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road, which includes traffic signals and median improvements

“Those are great things happening, because that’s going to help everybody move around better,” Oakley said.

Some countywide roadway upgrades also will benefit the municipality, too, Oakley noted.

That includes the $33.6 million diverging diamond interchange at Interstate 75 and State Road 56, which is expected to be completed in summer 2022.

Oakley put it like this: “What good is a diverging diamond to Zephyrhills? Well, economically, it helps people get in and out of the area, and it helps them get here, and then also to get out of here.”

There’s also the $64 million interstate interchange on I-75 at Overpass Road, south of State Road 52, scheduled for completion in late 2022 or early 2023.

“That’s going to help divide that traffic up from (State Road) 56, to Overpass to (State Road) 54 and then (State Road) 52,” Oakley said.

By spreading the traffic out, “your movement will be much better,” he explained.

Oakley was quick to point out that these big-ticket roadway infrastructure projects would not be possible without the mobility fees paid by surrounding growth and development.

“None of this happens without the fact that we’re doing a lot of residential development that brings in impact fees (mobility fees) and school impact fees that builds schools, and also pays for the roads that you see,” he said.

Large developments are in progress
Oakley also told the crowd about some of the large-scale developments that he said, “are cropping up everywhere around the city.”

He directed attention to Two Rivers, a master-planned unit development (MPUD) zoning off State Road 56, between Morris Bridge Road and U.S. 301.

Roadway infrastructure improvements — such as the Overpass Road connection with Interstate 75 — were a key theme during the fifth annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit.

The project is substantial.

The county has approved up to 6,400 residences, more than 2.6 million square feet of office and industrial, and 630,000 square feet of commercial uses.

The 3,405-acre property’s southern boundary is on the north side of County Line Road, and its northern boundary is on the north side of State Road 56.

The Two Rivers development also includes a site for an elementary school, middle school and high school, an 80-acre district park and a public safety site.

“All these developments are going to bring more people into the economy of Zephyrhills; very important for that economy,” Oakley said. “Those people coming in will be really helping a lot of businesses here in Zephyrhills.”

The speaker acknowledged the possible strain on services and utilities such as water and sewer, but assured local citizens that the county is well-prepared.

“There’s nothing wrong with good, planned growth,” Oakley said.

The commissioner also shared his vision and standards for new residential developments popping up in East Pasco.

These large developments, the commissioner said, should entail “good architectural views, good landscaping, and a place you’d be proud to live in.”

In the same breath, he pushed back on small-lot housing subdivisions.

“I honestly believe that we shouldn’t have 40-foot lots,” he said. “We have some, and they work, I guess, somewhere, but they’re really too small.”

He continued, “We want to build a whole residential development that’s more of a community, and not houses right beside each other, with no landscaping. We want something to be proud of in Pasco.”

Elsewhere, Oakley mentioned the county is working on plans to help small businesses, in the way of zero-interest loans, grants and other assistance programs.

“They’re pretty much the backbone of our community, when you think about all the small businesses,” said Oakley. “We have the big businesses, and they’re a different source themselves, but small business is very important.”

State Rep. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills

Burgess bullish on Zephyrhills armory
State Rep. Danny Burgess, R- Zephyrhills also participated in the economic summit, speaking virtually from his Tallahassee office.

His remarks focused on the forthcoming Florida National Guard Armory coming to Zephyrhills that is set to be located near the city’s municipal airport.

State lawmakers earmarked $25 million for the construction of the project during the past legislative session.

Burgess described the project as “a first-of-its kind, state-of-the-art armory.”

He said it will employ many full-time Army officers during the week, plus hundreds of soldiers and service people visiting on weekends.

The legislator views the armory as “a big economic driver” for the city, where soldiers and service members “work and eat and stay and play in our community.”

“It’s not just a military installation, it’s not just a home for the National Guard,” Burgess said. “It’s going to be really good, and it’s moving fast, so we should hopefully have some great direction here soon.”

What makes the project even more special, Burgess said, is that Zephyrhills is a community that has deep military roots and a record of support for the armed forces.

The city was founded by Civil War veteran Capt. Howard B. Jeffries, as a retirement area for union soldiers.

The city’s airport property was used by the U.S. Army in the 1940s as a training airfield for combat pilots.

“We should all be very, very proud of this,” Burgess added of the armory.

Burgess went on to praise the city’s windfall in the latest state budget, which included several appropriations, including $6.5 million for water and wastewater improvements on Handcart Road; $4.6 million for improvements to the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center; and $3 million for improvements to the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.

Said Burgess, “It’s a testament to our community, to the things that are happening in our community, to the businesses in our community and our community leaders.”

As a sign of the municipality’s wave of progress, back in June Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appeared at Zephyrhills City Hall for a state budget-signing ceremony— penning into law a record-setting $101.5 billion budget for fiscal year 2021-2022.

The invite-only press conference drew several dozens of area residents, business owners and government officials, in a standing-room only affair.

Burgess also credited Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson (R-Trilby) for his continuous support of Zephyrhills at the state level.

“He has always looked out for that community, and he sees the value in our location geographically and from an infrastructure standpoint, and he just wants to see us succeed,” Burgess said.

Other featured presentations during the summit came from Zephyrhills Planning Director Todd Vande Berg; David Waronker, CBD Real Estate Investment president; Randy Stovall, Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition chairman; and Tom Ryan, Pasco Economic Development Coalition director of business development.

Zephyrhills is now Pasco’s biggest city
The City of Zephyrhills has surpassed New Port Richey as Pasco County’s biggest city, based on data collected in the 2020 U.S. Census.

The Pasco County Commission discussed the shift during its board meeting on Oct. 26, noting that it will have to make some new appointments to boards that include a representative from the county’s largest municipality.

Census data reports that Zephyrhills had a population of 17,194 on April 1, 2020. Its population was 13,288 as of April 1, 2010.

New Port Richey’s population was 16,728 on April 1, 2020, compared to 14,911 on April 1, 2010.

Census figures for local jurisdictions include:

Jurisdiction                             April 1, 2020               April 1, 2010
Pasco County                          561,891                       464,697
Zephyrhills                              17,194                         13,288
Dade City                                7,550                           6,437
New Port Richey                     16,728                         14,911
Hillsborough County               1,459,762                    1,229,226
Tampa                                     384,959                       335,709

Pasco County Commissioners discussed Zephyrhills’ shift to become the county’s largest city, noting that it will mean that some appointments will need to change next year because certain boards require representation from the county’s largest city.

Published November 03, 2021

Zephyrhills councilwoman bullish on town’s outlook

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Zephyrhills City councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson has closely observed the evolution of the small-town East Pasco community over the past three decades.

The elected official and longtime resident is pleased, overall, with the current situation in the municipality — amid a period of rampant growth, development, infrastructure enhancements and other changes.

Some of the city’s major tackling points of late include:

  • The addition of thousands of new homes throughout city limits
  • Multimillion dollar expansions to the city’s wastewater treatment plant, municipal airport and municipal tennis center
  • Myriad roadwork projects, such as U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road signalized intersection and paving of Simons Road
  • Work to revitalize the historic downtown district

This imminent progress can be traced to comprehensive plans solidified some 20 years ago, Wilkeson said during an East Pasco Networking Group meeting last month at IHOP in Dade City.

Zephyrhills City councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson (File)

Wilkeson, who is the founder and president of an architecture and interior design firm in Tampa, credits the city’s “history of success” to “a series of elected leaders who’ve helped move Zephyrhills forward.”

“All of this is possible,” she added, “because we had a plan.”

Unopposed in this year’s municipal election, Wilkeson is set to embark on her fourth term — in total — of serving on the City Council. She was elected to a three-year term in April 2018 and previously served from 2008 to 2014. She also serves as board president of the Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).

Wilkeson’s gateway into local volunteerism public service began as a concerned Zephyrhills citizen about 20 years ago when she responded to a mail-in survey regarding city utilities and services, then writing a detailed note to city administration and leadership.

Wilkeson joked that the conscientious letter was “a fatal error,” as she was asked to meet with then longtime city manager Steve Spina and planning director Todd Vande Berg to gain the resident’s perspective on municipal operations and other happenings in the city. “The moment I wrote that note, they said, ‘Oh, she’s smart and she knows what we’re doing, we need to get her in here,” Wilkeson recalled during the March 9 breakfast meeting.

She subsequently was urged to serve on the citizen-led Zephyrhills Planning Commission beginning in 2002, given her expertise as an interior architect, and ability to decipher building plans and drawings.

Later, she served on the Zephyrhills Historic Preservation Board, from 2004 to 2008. She also was a volunteer board member for Main Street Zephyrhills Inc. — organizing parades, events promoting local CRA district businesses and otherwise helping preserve the city’s unique charm.

She was acknowledged for her contributions by the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce who named her “Volunteer of the Year” in 2007.

While serving on the city’s planning commission, Wilkeson discovered Zephyrhills and surrounding Pasco County previously had been — as described — “giving away the farm.” In other words, the area had been receiving less than favorable or beneficial returns on utilities, properties, land deals and so on.

Since then, however, the town has undergone a more proactive shift.

She credits the city’s planners and public works team.

“We really raised the bar in terms of fees and accessibility, and that’s why these developers continue to want to come to our city, because they can get in front of somebody that knows what they’re talking about, and now we don’t give away the farm anymore, and it’s transforming the way our community looks. There are no more metal buildings on (U.S.) 301, (and) we have invested millions of dollars in our downtown district, and the Main Street and CRA,” she said.

As CRA board president, Wilkeson told the breakfast crowd about some of the enhancements to the city’s historic CRA district —  which is a  special taxing district that spans roughly 500 acres through the center spine of Zephyrhills.

In that district, future revenues from increased property values are set aside in a trust fund to support economic development and redevelopment projects within the designated CRA area.

Wilkeson detailed how these funds have been allocated toward business and residential façade grants, landscaping beautification, and maintaining the historical architecture of the area via special light fixtures, wayfinding signage and so on.

One program involves providing $5,000 grants to encourage the purchase of a single-family home within the CRA District. The idea is to spur purchases within distressed neighborhoods and to improve the owner-occupancy rate within the district. It also is meant to encourage a neighborhood friendly walkable community.

This initiative and other changes, Wilkeson said, have spurred Tampa Bay area families “who want to be able to roll their kids down in a stroller and watch a parade through downtown Main Street,” to purchase homes within the city’s CRA district. “These are people who are coming in from Tampa and St. Pete and saying, ‘We love the charm of your little community’ and they buy houses in the historic district,” she said.

Previously, Wilkeson said, “we were not reinvesting in this community and we had these older homes that were rentals, and they were a crime problem and a code enforcement problem.”

Wilkeson also expressed confidence in the city’s direction under the leadership of Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe.

Poe was named Zephyrhills assistant city manager in November 2018, then stepped up to replace the retiring Spina come July 2019.

Poe, born and raised in Zephyrhills, began his career as an intern with city administration, then spent several years working as an assistant city planner. Poe went on to land a city manager role with Dade City in 2008, a position he held for over a decade.

Wilkeson was part of the committee that ultimately selected Poe as Spina’s successor a couple years ago.

“Billy was a natural choice,” Wilkeson said. “He knew the city. He had 11 years (of) experience in Dade City as a city manager. It was a great launching pad for him to come to the city. He had a transition period with Steve Spina that helped him get everything up to speed and take over, and it’s been a nearly seamless transition.”

Published April 14, 2021

Busy 2021 anticipated for East Pasco communities

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The East Pasco municipalities of Dade City and Zephyrhills are poised for a busy 2021 in terms of infrastructure, development and other community programs.

Here’s a closer look at some of the highlights in the new year:

Dade City

A rendering of the type of large-sized heart-shaped sculptures that will be installed at city-owned properties in the downtown area. (File)

Let’s get artsy
“The Heart of Pasco County” moniker soon can be taken on quite literally in Dade City — in the form of an outdoor, permanent public artwork exhibit.
The Dade City Center for the Arts in February will celebrate the installation of a new outdoor public art exhibition — in the form of about a dozen 8-foot-tall metal heart sculptures painted by local artists and installed throughout historic, downtown Dade City.
Proposed locations for the 3D heart sculptures, which will have varied artwork patterns on each, include:

  • Hibiscus Park
  • City Hall/Police station alcove entrance or nearby
  • Green space entrance to Hardy Trail
  • Meridian Avenue/U.S. 301 intersection, near Dade City Heritage and Cultural Museum
  • Naomi S. Jones Park
  • Whitehouse historical landmark on Old Lakeland Highway
  • Lock Street/Hardy Trail intersection
  • Agnes Lamb Park near Meridian Avenue
  • Price Park
  • Watson Park
  • Dade City Garden Club
The Dade City Center for the Arts is facilitating more community art programs.

The community initiative is designed not only to color up the downtown area, but also to use public artwork as a photo opportunity and marketing tool, to encourage residents and visitors alike to stroll throughout city limits. More frills include installing QR codes on each sculpture mapping out the location of other city landmarks and providing information about a particular artist or meaning of the artwork itself.
The entire concept is similar to outdoor art events in other cities that bring together artists’ creativity with a sculptural icon that relates to the city. In Dade City’s case, its official seal has a heart shape surrounded by kumquats in its center.
The city’s arts center also has been approved to create a wall mural at the site of the former CenturyLink building at Hardy Trail and Eighth Street.

 

 

Dade City’s visitor information center will be built adjacent to the Roy Hardy Trail on Church Avenue. (City of Dade City)

Visitor’s information center coming
Roy Hardy Trail cyclists and exercisers alike will have a spot to take a breath, relax and learn about the happenings in their community all at once.
It comes in the form of a visitor’s information center adjacent to the Hardy Trail on Church Avenue.
The 1,380-square-foot open floor space will feature informational kiosks and mobile displays for all county tourism amenity partners.
The building also will be accompanied by two porches and a bike rack — its location designed to offer easy access off the Hardy Trail for users to gather and rest. The facility will have two family bathrooms, as well.
A groundbreaking is slated sometime in early 2021, with completion expected in the summer.
The project is funded with the help of a $250,000 grant from the Pasco County Tourist Development Council.

Sprucing up downtown
Dade City leaders have made it a priority for 2021 and beyond to ensure that the city’s historic downtown area is safe, clean and generally more desirable to stroll through.
The city is moving forward with plans to install additional crosswalks along Seventh Street and Meridian Avenue, and is improving stormwater drainage near Seventh Street and Pasco Avenue.
It also is exploring traffic-calming initiatives to reduce vehicle speeds. And, it is making public parking space changes, boulevard additions, and encouraging landscaped parklets to create additional outdoor seating areas.
Additional resources also will be dedicated to downtown cleanup — including mowing, weeding and litter patrol of city-owned properties in the Community Redevelopment Area.
Meanwhile, the city’s public works team is in the midst of enhancing the lighting downtown parking lots, as well as Agnes Lamb Park on Ninth Street.

Could Dade City try to leverage its recreation amenities, such as motocross, as it embarks on a rebranding effort? (File)

Marketing rebrand in the works?
The City of Dade City is plotting a full-scale marketing rebrand to capitalize on residential and tourism growth in Pasco County and Tampa Bay area, at large.

The city has earmarked $40,000 in this fiscal year’s budget toward a marketing and advertising plan, promotional activities and other contractual services.
But, before that money, and possibly much more, is allocated specifically, Dade City commissioners want to hear what the public thinks — and that includes local business owners, residents and other stakeholders.

Efforts to gather input throughout the year could take form in charrettes, surveys, monthly forums, and even door-to-door visits.

How to best promote its current and forthcoming amenities remains the looming question.
Does the city try to emphasize its unique collection of downtown shops and restaurants? Focus more on recreation attractions inside and outside the city limits? Leverage its budding reputation as a location for rural destination weddings? Or, perhaps will it simply brand itself as an ideal location to raise a family?


City of Zephyrhills

The rebuilding Jerry’s Crystal Bar is set to open in early 2021 on Gall Boulevard. (Courtesy of Jerry’s Crystal Bar)

Iconic business to reopen
The longest-operating bar in Zephyrhills is set to reopen in early 2021 — almost two years since it was destroyed by a fire.
The original Jerry’s Crystal Bar had been in business since 1954, at 5707 Gall Blvd.
That all changed in May 2019 when a two-alarm fire electrical in nature suffocated the building’s attic and roof, yielding a total loss.
A complete rebuild of the iconic, family owned establishment is coming along swimmingly since a May 2020 groundbreaking. The bar’s owners expect a grand opening ceremony in January or February.
The new building takes on an elevated, modernized look and is nearly double the size of the old structure. It also falls under the requirements of the city’s form-based code for the U.S. 301/Gall Boulevard corridor area, whereby the facade is aligned right up to the street with a wide sidewalk and all parking is situated behind the bar.

A rendering of the U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road intersection project (File)

U.S. 301 intersection project to spur commercial activity
The completion of an intersection improvement at U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road, expected in mid-2021, is expected to open up opportunities for increased commercial development.

The $2.3 million state-funded project calls for new traffic signals on U.S. 301 at Pretty Pond and at Medical Arts Court/ Townview Avenue, along with other median and roadway improvements.
Once construction is complete, the area is poised to land Chick-fil-A and Chipotle chain restaurants, among several other businesses and attractions.

Residential developments popping up
Don’t be surprised if “The City of Pure Water” get a little more crowded in 2021 and beyond.

Significant progress or completion is expected on a number of large-scale residential developments throughout the municipality.

With myriad new homes on deck, small town Zephyrhills is going to get a little more crowded. (File)

A slew of new housing communities is actively underway — such as Abbott Square, 700-plus units surrounding the new Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center off Simons Road; and Abbott Park, 500-plus units tucked behind the Zephyr Commons Publix Shopping Center, off Gall Boulevard.

Other notable homesites include the Link at Calusa Springs, north of Silverado Golf & Country Club; the Oaks at Pasco, southeast of Silverado Golf & Country Club; and Skybird Properties, off Alston Road near the municipal airport.

Simply put, the city’s real estate market is “very hot right now,” Zephyrhills Planning Director Todd Vande Berg said earlier this year.

“I don’t know where all these people are coming from, but these housing subdivisions are selling homes for over $300,000 with HOAs and CDDs. I wasn’t sure how that’d work in Zephyrhills, but you drive up to Silverado and before the lot infrastructure is completed, you’re seeing a ‘Sold’ sign, so it is amazing.

“Even through this COVID-19 environment, the residential housing…has really stayed very strong, which helps the city from a budget and revenue standpoint,” said Vande Berg.

More bells and whistles for tennis center?
Could the newly opened Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center continue to add to its wide range of features this year?

The northeast corner of the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center on Simons Road is reserved for a an indoor multipurpose sports complex. (Courtesy of Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center)

Well, the City of Zephyrhills and the Zephyrhills City Council are giving strong consideration to a second request for state funding to expand the state-of-the-art facility on Simons Road.

The northeast corner of the 10-acre property has been reserved for a 30,000-square-foot indoor multi-purpose sports complex — enough room to handle four full-sized tennis courts, and can also be converted to accommodate soccer, weddings and even concerts.

This past year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a $1.5 million appropriation for the Phase II project from the state’s budget amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

But that might not stop city leaders from continuing to push for the project. Appropriation requests for this year must be submitted to the state by early February.

The $4.9 million tennis center, which opened in September, already includes numerous courts and other amenities.

Published January 06, 2021

Tennis center hosts fruitful tournaments

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The Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center has only been open since September, but it has quickly shown to be a hit among Zephyrhills residents and outsiders alike.

The $4.9 million complex at 6585 Simons Road has already begun delivering on its promise to bring in large-scale racquet sports tournaments, thanks to its portfolio of 11 tennis courts, eight pickleball courts and four padel courts — plus a distinct mix of peak performance treatments in the way of a modern fitness center, cryotherapy, salt room therapy and sports counseling.

The new Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center hosted major pickleball and padel tournaments last month, drawing hundreds of participants. (Courtesy of Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center)

The complex hosted a weeklong pickleball tournament from Dec. 7 through Dec. 11, followed by a weekend padel tournament Dec. 12 and Dec. 13.

The pickleball event attracted over 200 participants, making it one of the largest in the state for the entire year, according to Zephyrhills Planning Director Todd Vande Berg, who updated the Zephyrhills City Council on the facility’s happenings at a regular meeting last month.

Meantime, the padel event’s 118 participants made it one of the largest padel tournaments held in the United States, the planning director said.

The padel event alone attracted a sizable contingent from Miami and the South Florida area, while others came in from as far away as Houston, Las Vegas, New York and even California. It is believed a total of 11 states were represented in all.

“They were coming from all over the country to be here in Zephyrhills to play in that padel tournament,” Vande Berg said of the new but fast-growing racquet sport popularized in Mexico and Spain.

And, more big-time tournaments in Zephyrhills are planned in the new year.

The facility will host a $25,000 professional women’s tennis tournament bringing in some of the top-ranked players in the world, from Jan. 28 through Feb. 1.

Vande Berg also noted “there’s potentially a very large tournament that’s in the works of being investigated that would be super exciting if we’re able to get that, but we’ll continue to talk about that if that continues to pull through.”

Elsewhere, the facility’s youth sports training program — called United Global Academy (UGA) “is growing like crazy,” Vande Berg said.

“Every time you go out there, you see new kids that are training there, either on a full-time or afterschool basis; but just everything we’re hearing from parents that are coming in is, ‘An amazing facility,’” he said.

Even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vande Berg said the tennis center in general has produced “positive results to this point,” also mentioning that its regular Sunday Brunch has become “very successful.”

The complex is owned by the City of Zephyrhills, but privately managed and operated by renowned tennis instructor Pascal Collard, who’s held similar posts at the Saddlebrook Tennis Center and The Merion Cricket Club in Haverford, Pennsylvania.

It’s named in honor of former Zephyrhills High School district champion Sarah Vande Berg, who became a scholarship player on the University of South Carolina Upstate women’s tennis team.
Sarah, the daughter of Todd Vande Berg, died in an automobile accident at the age of 21 in October 2015.

The facility celebrated a soft opening in September and a grand opening in October, more than a year after a July 2019 groundbreaking on construction.

Published January 06, 2021

Foundation serves up tennis lessons to Pasco youth

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Since its October grand opening ceremony, the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Center in Zephyrhills has garnered widespread recognition for its breadth of racquet sports and other amenities.

The 10-acre athletic complex, located off Simons Road, is owned by the City of Zephyrhills, but privately managed and operated. It boasts 11 tennis courts, eight pickleball courts and four padel courts. It also offers a mix of peak performance treatments in the way of a state-of-the-art fitness center, cryotherapy, salt room therapy and sports counseling.

Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Foundation program director Nick Walton, left, with foundation ambassador Isaac Mitchell. Teen ambassadors, including Mitchell, volunteer in the afterschool programs and represent the foundation at other community events. For their efforts, ambassadors receive training and private coaching privileges at the new tennis center. (Courtesy of Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Foundation)

These features, among others, set the facility up as a regional, national and even international racquet sports destination, with potential to host world-class tournaments and professional players on-site for training.

But, beyond the scope of drawing tourism and big-money events to East Pasco, the sports facility also is serving up outreach opportunities for community youth.

That’s being done through the facility’s 501c3 nonprofit partner organization, called the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Foundation.

The foundation’s mission is “to provide tennis and education programming in Pasco County communities through character-building, physical activity, and mentoring.”

The foundation — and tennis center— is named in honor of the former Zephyrhills High School district champion who became a scholarship player on the University of South Carolina Upstate women’s tennis team.

Sarah Vande Berg, the daughter of Zephyrhills planning director Todd Vande Berg, died in an automobile accident at the age of 21 in October 2015.

Sarah Vande Berg Foundation program director Nick Walton and Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center CEO Pascal Collard provided updates about the nonprofit’s progress during a Zephyrhills City Council meeting last month.

Earlier this fall, the foundation launched a pair of free afterschool programs at both West Zephyrhills Elementary and Raymond B. Stewart Middle Schools. Programming had been set to begin at the schools in the spring, but was delayed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the new afterschool program, foundation coaches and volunteers are on-site at the schools twice a week for two hours each day, teaching introductory tennis fundamentals, nutrition habits and character education classes, for children in grades three through eight.

The Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Foundation recently launched a pair of free afterschool programs at both West Zephyrhills Elementary and Raymond B. Stewart Middle schools. Coaches and volunteers from the foundation are on-site at the schools twice a week for two hours each day, teaching introductory tennis fundamentals, nutrition habits and character education classes, for children in grades three through eight. The program assists youth of all skill levels and backgrounds, including many low-income and minority youth with limited access to organized sports.

The program assists youth of all skill levels and backgrounds, including many low-income and minority youth who have limited access to organized sports.

Most of the approximately 30 youth players from each respective school had never picked up a racquet prior to joining the program.

In a nutshell, here’s how the afterschool initiative works: All participants are incentivized from the first day to show up to all classes, listen to their coaches, follow instructions, and try their best to improve. Students who handle these objectives diligently for four consecutive weeks are rewarded with a brand-new racquet for them to take home and practice.

“We want to break down barriers to the sport of tennis and access to equitable education services,” Walton said of the program. “Our vision is for all students to have personal growth and positive relationships through tennis.”

The foundation also has sponsored a teen ambassador program geared toward eighth grade and high school students. These ambassadors help volunteer in the afterschool programs and represent the foundation at other community events. For their efforts, ambassadors receive training and private coaching privileges at the new tennis center.

“We’re definitely more than tennis,” said Walton. “What we’re creating is a community of young people who will grow together, on and off the court.”

That happens, he said, through positive role models and mentors, a heavy emphasis on education and growth through sport and physical well-being.

The foundation also offers a college scholarship program, awarding multiple scholarships each year to graduating Zephyrhills High School student-athletes. Scholarship selection criteria include academic performance, leadership qualities, volunteerism, community engagement and sports involvement.

Athletes from all sports are encouraged to apply, not just those who play tennis.

Six scholarships have been awarded over the past three years, according to the foundation’s website. The deadline to apply is April 30 each year.

Zephyrhills City Councilman Lance Smith called the foundation’s varied efforts “a great thing for the whole community.”

“I’m just really excited because we’re in those schools where we need to reach these kids,” said Smith. “Introducing them to a sport and teaching them about what they need to do to become good people, creating good character in them, so I couldn’t be happier to be involved with them.”

The Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Foundation has methodically built up its base since design plans and construction for the multimillion dollar tennis center were en route a few years ago.
The foundation’s first major fundraiser was held in October 2018, at Arbor Green in New Tampa.

That tennis clinic and event gala was headlined by International Tennis Hall of Fame coach Nick Bolletti, renowned for grooming 10 world No. 1 players, including Andre Agassi, Monica Seles, Maria Sharapova and Dade City’s Jim Courier, among many others.

The gala helped raise more than $10,000, used to purchase tennis rackets and to subsidize tennis camps for youth.

Total donations have since reached $30,500, according to the foundation’s website. Supporting partners include the United States Tennis Foundation, Wilson Sporting Goods, Duke Energy and Zephyrhills Water.

The foundation mirrors a similar outreach program called Down The Line and Beyond, which Collard spearheaded while he was tennis director at The Merion Cricket Club, a private club in Haverford, Pennsylvania.

The Philadelphia-area nonprofit has grown to serve more than 1,600 underprivileged youths from ages 7 to 17, and facilitates positive character and education development through tennis lessons.

Some of those youths even went on to earn collegiate tennis scholarships as a result of their development in the program.

“None of them would’ve played tennis — none— without the foundation. We are going to do the same thing over here (in Zephyrhills),” Collard said in a prior interview with The Laker/Lutz News.

For more information, visit SVBTennisFoundation.com.

Published December 16, 2020

Zephyrhills adapts to growth, economic shifts

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If 2020 demonstrated anything, it was the necessity for area communities to have economic resiliency — that is, the ability to prevent, withstand and quickly recover from shocks to its economic base, whether that’s in response to a pandemic, natural disaster or stock market volatility.

In Zephyrhills, it’s something city planning director Todd Vande Berg and other city officials are actively balancing and preparing for, as the East Pasco municipality experiences a wave of growth and development, as well as transportation and infrastructure improvements.

Zephyrhills Planning Director Todd Vande Berg outlined how the city is setting itself up for future economic windfall during the annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit. (Courtesy of Todd Vande Berg)

Vande Berg provided an in-depth look at the city’s ongoing efforts during the annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit that was held this fall.

One key moving forward, he said, is reevaluating, updating and incorporating some “best practices” into the city’s comprehensive plan and land development code.

This includes taking a harder look at density bonuses and floor area ratios, as well as stream-lining permitting processes and broadening permitted uses, he said.

Prioritizing municipal investments in transportation (multi-modal, pedestrian-oriented, public transit) and infrastructure (water, sewer, communication networks), and recreation is important, too, he said.

Ripe for industrial manufacturing
The city is banking on diversifying its local economy and bringing high-wage jobs to town via a regional industrial/manufacturing buildout.

Local leaders believe this can be achieved through leveraging approximately 9.76 square miles (6,248 acres) of land in the southeast portion of the city around the State Road 39/Chancey Road corridor and Zephyrhills Municipal Airport. There is 3,000 acres to 4,000 acres available for potential industrial development.

Roughly a third of the entire property is within city limits and the remainder in unincorporated Pasco County — representing the largest aggregation of industrial lands in the county.

Within the area is 442 divisible acres of what’s known as the Zephyrhills Airport Industrial Park, a build-ready site equipped with water, sewer and electric utilities, and accessible to natural gas.

As industrial space along the Interstate 4 corridor begins to fill up along Tampa, Lakeland and Orlando, Zephyrhills “might be a next logical location for industrial manufacturing to come to,” Vande Berg said.

He reasoned the city’s vast land offerings is ripe to someday be home to a mix of light and heavy industrial and commercial uses — such as building spaces large enough to house semi-trailer truck bays.

The City of Zephyrhills and other local partners are working to bring industrial manufacturing to several thousands of acres of aggregate vacant land in the southeast portion of the city situated around the Chancey Road/State Road 39 corridor and Zephyrhills Municipal Airport. (Courtesy of Pasco Economic Development Council)

The planning director explained it makes sense now more than ever to prepare for a long-range industrial plan, as Central Florida is following national trends of heavier investment in warehousing than retail construction.

The COVID-19 pandemic expedited this trend as more people and business are working and providing services remotely, in addition to the rise of Amazon and other e-commerce companies, Vande Berg said.

The city also enjoys north-south and east-west state and county road connections that support the long-term vision for industrial development, the planning director said. The city’s municipal airport, CSX main line rail access and close proximity to Port Tampa Bay and Central Florida markets are among its selling points.

“We’re pretty unique in that we have a pretty good roadway network being developed. That’s going to benefit the industrial corridor, to again make us very resilient, but we’ve got to continue to work on that,” he said.

The planning director acknowledged one challenge involves finding a way to widen the U.S. 301 corridor to four lanes from Fowler Avenue in Hillsborough County up through Zephyrhills. The roadway presently stretches four lanes from Port Tampa Bay to Fowler, but transitions to two lanes north through Pasco.

Vande Berg acknowledged that the Hillsborough Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) hasn’t been on board with widening the road further north.

To resolve the impasse, the Pasco MPO needs to gather and collaborate with Hillsborough, Vande Berg said, “and really emphasize the importance of getting that segment of road, four lanes.”

He continued: “That four-lane corridor, I think, will pay off huge dividends for manufacturing and just overall betterment of our transportation network.”

Aside from stated transportation improvements to supplement an industrial corridor, Vande Berg also emphasized the importance of having a mechanism that provides workforce training opportunities, as people look to transition to manufacturing jobs.

“I feel like we need to look at identifying, and supporting and incentivizing all those things to provide for more of a diverse workforce,” he said.

Some next steps in the measured industrial corridor planning process include meeting with large industrial property owners; coordinating additional stakeholder meetings; having more discussions with industrial brokers; making airport and railroad improvements; and, continuing with various citywide master plan updates, Vande Berg said.

Growth already ramping up in Zephyrhills
While efforts continue to shape a future industrial hub, plenty is already happening in Zephyrhills in the way of new development, particularly residential construction.

A slew of new housing communities set to come online — such as Abbott Square, 700-plus units surrounding the new Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center off Simons Road; and Abbott Park, 500-plus units tucked behind the Zephyr Commons Publix Shopping Center, off Gall Boulevard.

Other notable homesites include the Link at Calusa Springs, north of Silverado Golf & Country Club; the Oaks at Pasco, southeast of Silverado Golf & Country Club; and Skybird Properties, off Alston Road near the municipal airport.

Various roadway improvements are paving way for new commercial development, too.

Most notable is the $2.3 million state-funded U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road intersection project, now under construction.

The project calls for new traffic signals on U.S. 301 at Pretty Pond and at Medical Arts Court/ Townview Avenue, along with other median and roadway improvements.

The 442-acre Zephyrhills Airport Industrial Park is a build-ready site equipped with water, sewer and electric utilities, and is accessible to natural gas. It’s adjacent to the city’s municipal airport and CSX railroad. (Courtesy of Pasco Economic Development Council)

The addition of signalized intersections at these locations is designed to make it easier to move about the area, and to be an economic driver for the northeast and northwest corners of Pretty Pond.

Once construction is complete, the area is poised to land Chick-fil-A and Chipotle chain restaurants, and other businesses.

Vande Berg joked he frequently gets asked about when Chick-fil-A is coming aboard — and said the popular franchise was waiting until the intersection project received the OK to move forward.

“I’m happy to share that they’re still on board,” the city official said.

He also mentioned enhancements coming to a 1.31-mile stretch on County Road 54, east of U.S. 301, east to 23rd Street.

The city is splitting the cost of the $6.5 million project with Pasco County, which will include the addition of intersection turn lanes; a traffic signal at 23rd Street; and multi-use paths and trails on the north and south sides of the road, among other improvements.

The project is addressing one of the city’s “bigger areas of need” to improve traffic capacity along a busy and sometimes dangerous roadway, Vande Berg said.

Elsewhere, the planning director highlighted a slew of other forthcoming projects and goals, further giving a look inside the booming activity in the city:

  • Mixed-use properties along the Zephyr Commons gateway
  • New Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic off Eiland Boulevard
  • Upgrades to Hercules Park, at U.S. 301 and County Road 54, adjacent to Zephyrhills High and Woodlands Elementary schools.
  • Implementation of form-based building codes from North Avenue to C Avenue, between Sixth Street and Seventh Street
  • Efforts to have more designated complete streets throughout the city, designed to enable safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities. (This may include adding sidewalks, bike lanes ,or wide paved shoulders; special bus lanes; comfortable and accessible public transportation stops, frequent and safe crossing opportunities; median islands, accessible pedestrian signals; curb extensions; narrower travel lanes; roundabouts and so on.)

Published December 09, 2020

Zephyrhills tennis center ready for play

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Lace up the tennis shoes and prep those rackets and balls for play — because the much-hyped Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center is now open to the public.

What began as drawings and plans on paper nearly four years ago is finally a reality in the form a $4.9 million athletic complex situated on 8.25 acres of land at 6585 Simons Road in Zephyrhills.

The complex enjoyed a soft opening on Sept. 21. A grand opening celebration is set for Oct. 17, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The center is now open every day, from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The $4.9 million Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center sits on more than 8 acres of land off Simons Road in Zephyrhills. It features 11 regulation outdoor tennis courts (nine clay surface, two hard surface), eight pickleball courts and four padel courts, and a nearly 8,000-square-foot indoor clubhouse. The northeast corner of the 8-plus-acre property is reserved for an additional 30,000-square-foot indoor multipurpose sports complex, enough room to accommodate four full-size tennis courts. (Courtesy of David Alvarez, DCA Media Consulting)

The facility’s outdoor centerpiece is 11 regulation outdoor tennis courts (nine clay surface, two hard surface), eight pickleball courts and four padel courts — two of the world’s fastest-growing racquet sports.

Attached is a nearly 8,000-square-foot indoor club housing cutting-edge health and wellness amenities that promote training and recovery.

There are rooms dedicated for cryotherapy, salt therapy, bio/neuro feedback therapy, massage and yoga. There’s also a 1,300-square-foot fitness center featuring workout equipment, including recumbent bikes, rowers and ellipticals.

The indoor clubhouse also has a full restaurant and cafe operated by Land O’ Lakes-based caterer Mark Vesh.

Though membership-based, guest users are encouraged to make court rentals and partake in other amenities. Walk-ins are welcome and any specific questions can be answered by the facility’s front desk manager.

Even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, patrons are wasting no time getting their game on.

For instance, a 30-member coed pickleball group from Zephyrhills reserved courts for a mini event on the facility’s first open morning.

The complex is named in honor of Sarah Vande Berg, a former Zephyrhills High School district champion and three-time state qualifier who died in an automobile accident in South Carolina at the age of 21, in October 2015.

Her father, Todd Vande Berg, is the longtime planning director for Zephyrhills.

All-Star crew
The tennis center venture is a public-private partnership between the City of Zephyrhills and Pascal Collard, a longtime tennis pro and instructor serving as the facility’s CEO.

The municipality owns the state-of-the-art tennis facility, but Collard is responsible for its day-to-day operations and programming.

Collard has been involved with the project since October 2017, when his tennis management firm, Tennis P.R.O. Florida LLC, was hired by the city.

Finally seeing the complex come to life is a relief for Collard, noting he invested “a lot of time and money and energy and passion” in conjunction with Zephyrhills during the last several years.

Said Collard, “It’s a lifetime goal and a lifetime dream that’s come true to be able to run a place and really do something that’s touched the community and that will touch people from all over the world.”

In running the facility, he brings a diverse tennis background to the table.

The nearly 8,000-square-foot indoor clubhouse at the tennis facility contains a fitness center, restaurant/café, and rooms dedicated for cryotherapy, salt therapy, bio/neuro feedback therapy, massage and yoga, among other frills.

Collard previously served as tennis director at Saddlebrook in Wesley Chapel and The Merion Cricket Club in Haverford, Pennsylvania. His personal training includes working with several widely known tennis pros, including Younes El Aynaoui and Martin Verkerk, both of whom coincidentally ranked as high as No. 14 in the ATP Tour rankings back in 2003.

Many of the other 36 total staffers at the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center similarly bring aboard respectable pedigrees.

The facility’s tennis director is Rene Moller, a former touring pro director at Saddlebrook Tennis Academy who’s been a full-time coach to John Isner, the highest-ranked American men’s tennis player, as well as Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, who’s ranked No. 31 in the world.

Another notable tennis instructor is Mika Todo, a former professional WTA international tennis player from Japan who’s been working as a tennis coach for the past 20 years, and successfully trained junior players who won the title in the All-Japan Junior U12 and U14 tournament.

Also, former NFL defensive lineman Mel Williams will serve as a fitness coach and specialist in tennis footwork and plyometrics. He played for the New Orleans Saints, the Washington Redskins, the San Francisco 49ers and the Miami Dolphins in the early 2000s.

A host for pro tournaments
The facility is beginning to deliver on its promise as a tourism driver for East Pasco, by drawing big-ticket national and international events.

Collard said the complex will host a sanctioned professional women’s tournament in late January that’ll offer a $25,000 grand prize for the winner and points in world rankings. The event is expected to draw 32 players representing a number of different countries and nationalities.

A corresponding men’s tennis tournament organized by retired professional Johan Kriek and sanctioned by the International Tennis Federation also is in the works, Collard said. Kriek won 14 professional singles and eight doubles titles, ranking as high as seventh in the world in the 1980s. “It’s going to be very impressive and exciting,” Collard said of the forthcoming events.

A community hangout
At a hard-hat tour back in June, Collard explained his visioning for the complex is to become a community hangout of sorts, where users do more than simply play tennis with friends then leave and go about their day.

Pickleball is one of the most popular sports among seniors. Eight brand-new courts are dedicated for that activity at the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center.

“It started with tennis, but it now became a destination,” said Collard. “Basically, the concept here is, ‘I’m not doing one hour of sport and I go home. I’m coming here to play tennis, then maybe I do a cryotherapy session and then maybe I go eat here because there’s a full restaurant.’ You can bring your entire family…so it’s really unique.”

In coming years, the facility could expand even further. The northeast corner of the 8-plus-acre property is reserved for a 30,000-square-foot indoor multipurpose sports complex, enough room to accommodate another four full-size tennis courts. However, the addition had a setback when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a $1 million appropriation for the project from the state’s budget.

In opening amid ongoing coronavirus concerns, the facility is adhering to prescribed health and safety precautions, Collard explained.

Masks are required inside the clubhouse, but not while playing outdoor racquet sports.

Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center CEO Pascal Collard

Staffers also have installed about 30 umbrella tables in a roomy outdoor space for patrons to eat, drink, relax and watch play, in a socially distanced manner.

There are also plans to install a temperature screening gate before entering the building in the coming week, in partnership with AdventHealth.

Collard summed up the varied safety measures: “We have sanitizer everywhere. We have masks for everybody.”

As for next month’s grand opening, Collard promises a “big, big wow factor.”

Collard added: “We have a lot of surprises. It’s going to be pretty, pretty amazing what’s going to happen right there.”

Between now and then, visitors also may notice spruced-up landscaping on the property.

Collard noted that landscaping is always put in last.

For more information, call (813) 361-6660, email , or visit SVBtenniscenter.com.

Published September 23, 2020

Development is ramping up in Zephyrhills

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Except for some weeks throughout March and April, the COVID-19 hasn’t halted much new development within the City of Zephyrhills.

That’s the word from Zephyrhills Planning Director Todd Vande Berg, who outlined a number of citywide projects during an East Pasco Networking Group virtual meeting on June 23.

Perhaps the most notable setback, Vande Berg said, involved a slight delay in court installations at the forthcoming Sarah Vande Berg Tennis and Wellbeing Center, due to some extra safety and travel precautions taken from Miami-based construction crews.

However, the nearly $5 million project on Simons Road is proceeding well, with a grand opening scheduled for mid-to-late August.

Zephyrhills Planning Director Todd Vande Berg was the featured guest speaker at an East Pasco Networking Group virtual meeting on June 23. (File)

Aside from that, the planning director said, “I haven’t heard of a lot of slowdown, at least in our community.”

Underscoring the point is the myriad projects and initiatives Zephyrhills has in the pipeline — mainly in regards to new residential construction.

Larger single-family developments underway include The District at Abbott’s Square, Zephyr Lakes, Hidden River, Links at Calusa Springs, plus various expansions to the Silver Oaks and Silverado communities, respectively.

In other words, the city’s real estate market is “very hot right now,” Vande Berg said.

He explained, “I don’t know where all these people are coming from, but these housing subdivisions are selling homes for over $300,000 with HOAs and CDDs. I wasn’t sure how that’d work in Zephyrhills, but you drive up to Silverado and before the lot infrastructure is completed, you’re seeing a ‘Sold’ sign, so it is amazing.

“Even through this COVID-19 environment the residential housing…has really stayed very strong, which helps the city from a budget and revenue standpoint.”

Vande Berg added another 550-plus residential development is being planned around the new tennis center and should be underway a year or so from now.

The Lennar project will feature one-story villas, two-story townhomes and three different lot sizes. “It’s going to be a unique project,” Vande Berg said, adding, “we’re just beginning the due process on that.”

The planning director touched on a number of commercial developments, too.

Much is contingent on the addition of two signalized intersections on U.S. 301, Pretty Pond Road and Medical Arts Courts.

Funding for the $2.3 million project is in the state budget for this fiscal year. The aim of the traffic signal project — already out to bid — is to speed up potential commercial development in the northeast and northwest corners of U.S. 301 and Pretty Pond, and to improve access to the Merchants Square and Townview Square shopping centers.

The project will “spur a lot of development” along the intersection, Vande Berg said.

Additionally, a slew of light industrial businesses have recently set up shop at Park Place Center — an industrial park situated on Chancey Road south of Skydive City. That development is funded by a group of local investors.

“There’s a lot of activity going on in there,” Vande Berg said. “If you get a chance, go back there and drive around in that industrial park and you’ll see everything that’s going on in there.

Zephyrhills will join more than 100 other cities and water treatment facilities across the country in a federal lawsuit that is going after various companies that manufactured firefighting foam containing chemicals found to contaminate water wells. (File)

“We’re always excited when we have new, quality industrial manufacturing coming in, that creates jobs, they don’t require a lot of city services, and they generate a lot of ad valorem revenue for the city, so it’s always very positive, and you see that happening, to help diversify our community economy, and just good business overall,” Vande Berg said.

Another visible construction project underway is the rebuild of Jerry’s Crystal Bar on Gall Boulevard. The bar had been a community landmark downtown for over 60 years, until a fire destroyed the building last May.

The project will fall under the requirements of the city’s form-based code for the U.S. 301/Gall Boulevard corridor area, whereby the facade is aligned right up to the street with a wide sidewalk and all parking is situated behind the bar.

The planning director described the new building as “a big improvement” from beforehand, adding future projects within the corridor will be required to meet form-based code — a tool used to regulate new development in a manner compatible with the community’s vision.

For example, Vande Berg noted a builder is looking to erect townhomes on Seventh Street, so those structures likewise would be situated right up to the street with backlot parking.

Vande Berg observed of the zoning regulations: “You’ve probably seen that in other communities where it’s been pretty successful, so we’re doing the same thing here.”

Another anticipated project moving along is a new 14,000-square-foot Veterans Affairs clinic, at 378727 Eiland Blvd. Construction broke ground last June, but work halted after last-minute changes to modify the facility’s design and layout.

Those site plan changes were recently approved by the city’s review committee, Vande Berg said, “so they should be getting along with that pretty soon, we anticipate.”

In the arena of new eateries, Zephyrhills is set to land Chipotle and Chick-fil-A franchises in the near future.

Chipotle has been approved by the city for a small commercial outparcel in the Zephyr Commons Shopping Center and construction should begin soon, Vande Berg said.

Chick-fil-A, meanwhile, will be located at the northeast corner of U.S. 301 and Pretty Pond Road. The franchise is likely waiting until the new traffic light project is a go before construction gets underway, Vande Berg said.

Some other updates and happenings for Zephyrhills the planning director shared:

  • An extension of Kossik Road is complete, to service the Abbott Park residential development.
  • The city is working with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) on continuing State Road 56 east of U.S. 301 with four-lane alignment alternatives, as well as one-way pairs on Gall Boulevard.
  • The city received a $15,000 grant from Duke Energy toward the long-range Zephyrhills Industrial Corridor master plan.
  • The city has applied for a $15,000 grant from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) to revamp the housing element of its comprehensive plan.

Published July 08, 2020